Ethan’s mouth hung open as his eyes locked skyward. He understood immediately why people called this place the Silver City. Spires stretched as far as he could see, stabbing into the clouds and even beyond. The streets themselves were paved with perfectly hewn cobblestones, each interlocked in a way that made it appear there was almost no gap. The people who walked upon these streets were varied, hailing from each of the races he had already seen and some he hadn’t. The bustle in the distance was curious, and more curious still was the light overhead.

  It should have been nighttime here, or at least closer to dusk, but as Ethan searched the sky for the sun, he couldn’t find it. It was simply bright, and he couldn’t figure out why. Shaking away his confusion, he forged a path down the road, looking like a lost lamb. When he stopped, he turned to find an attendant in a wooden pavilion near the gate and jogged over to ask for directions. For some reason, they seemed friendlier than the silver-clad guards he had seen.

  “What business do you have in the central spire?” The attendant looked at Ethan with distrust.

  “I have a class there. Look.” He withdrew his schedule from his pocket and presented it to the attendant.

  The furry-faced man’s eyes went wide, and he bowed his head slightly. “Sorry about that. You want to head down Moore Grove Street, find the first inner-city portal, and take that directly to Spire 1.”

  Ethan accepted his schedule back with confusion, looking down at the list to see if anything would have warranted that reaction. He simply didn’t have enough information to know what was out of place… except for the Anomalous Materials class. It was a strange one and likely the reason for the guy’s interesting reaction, but he didn’t have much time to think about that. Despite his efforts to arrive early, time was ticking away, and he had absolutely no idea how far this place was.

  The scribe worked his way through the city, finding the attendant’s directions easy enough to follow. Mostly, it was because the building he searched for was very clearly marked. It had its own attendant, who had a similar reaction upon sending Ethan to Spire 1. A few minutes later, he was stepping through the portal. When he found his way out onto the street, his neck cracked from the speed at which he looked up. Compared to the other spires in the city, this one dwarfed them all. The base of it might have been large enough to dwarf even the largest structure in Gale House, and the amount of traffic coming and going was dizzying.

  Ethan made his way up the steps to the main entrance. He counted at least 200 of them and had to look around at the other people to see if they were having similar trouble. A few people were sweating and breathing heavily, but many others took the stairs two at a time, acting as though they were going for a pleasant stroll. When he finally entered the atrium, it was massive enough that he had to wonder if it had its own weather system. He coughed into his hand and quickly found the nearest desk that looked like it would provide information. A nice lady told him how to use the magical elevators, and then he was in a queue, finally stepping in and listening to the strange hum of the magical machine.

  Finally, on the 10th floor, the scribe hunted for room number eight. Like hotels back on Earth, there were signs on the walls pointing in either direction and denoting a range of rooms. The halls themselves were spartan in their decorations. The walls were tastefully paneled with wood, while the ground was carpeted. Every so often, a sconce holding several glowing crystals appeared, illuminating the hall and consequently the scribe’s path. He found his room and stood outside the large wooden door for far too long.

  Ethan cleared his throat and stepped through.

  On the other side was a massive circular room that seemed to hold amphitheater seating descending to the bottom. Junk was scattered everywhere, piled on tables, inside wooden crates, or otherwise just haphazardly scattered here and there. Three people sat in the center, each with a starkly different appearance. Each of their heads turned to him, brows furrowing in confusion.

  “I think I might have the wrong room,” Ethan said, holding his hands up apologetically as he edged backward toward the door. He ran into the wall.

  The smallest member of the group below placed their hands on chubby hips. They had the appearance of a rosy-cheeked humanoid with an almost animalistic nose and pointy ears. They had a big, fat belly and a mischievous smile on their face. When they spoke, it sounded like a squeaky toy. Somehow, Ethan decided it was male if only for the tiny amount of stubble on his round face.

  “Yeah, I think you might be lost.” The chubby little person, who was likely no taller than four feet, waved to his companions. “Does this look like some kind of party for first years?”

  “Have you checked the mail recently?” The next person to speak was from an animalistic race Ethan hadn’t seen yet, but they spoke with a feminine voice. She was at least seven feet tall, with long ganglion limbs. Despite that, she sat in a refined pose and wore something that looked like a mix between armor and mage’s robes. When she turned to regard Ethan, it appeared as though an entire galaxy lived in her eyes. Stars glittered here and there, shining to match the purple of her hair, the fur on her ears, and her tail that whipped back and forth with amusement.

  Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  “You have a habit of neglecting your duties.”

  The next one to speak had a deep, rumbling voice. He was human, as far as Ethan could tell, with dark black hair, an olive complexion, and a neatly trimmed beard. His eyes were dark, but they glittered with recognition. He was the most armored of all of them, wearing something that looked like fantasy leather armor.

  “Oh, balls!” the little guy grumbled, hopping up the steps of the amphitheater and heading to one particular pile of junk. He rummaged through it until he found what must have been that week’s mail. After throwing a few letters over his shoulder, he found the one that offended him the most. He ripped it open, breaking the wax seal, and shook it out to read. He muttered to himself for a few moments before swallowing hard. “Apparently, we have a new member of the team.”

  “Are you joking again?” The tall, animalistic person stood to her full height, brushing off her combat robes, with her gaze still fixed on Ethan.

  “Nope, I’ve got it right here. A message from our mutual benefactor.” The chubby dude let out a mirthless laugh.

  “Then perhaps, as our leader, you should give introductions. Unless you’re planning on singing show tunes all day.”

  “Okay, okay! But you gotta take the oath first!” It took a moment of digging, but the de facto leader of the group found something in another pile of junk. He brought it over to Ethan near the door, looking up and narrowing his gaze. “Express version of a soul contract. Everyone in this class, which I can’t even mention by name unless you’re part of the contract, has it.”

  Ethan had to think long and hard about this before he made the decision. Each eye in the room that settled on him was discerning, as though assessing his every move. He felt as though if he twitched the wrong way, they would judge him poorly.

  “Could I see the details of that contract?”

  The chubby guy turned to the group and let out a sharp laugh. “He wants to see the details of the contract! And remember when you just accepted it outright without question?”

  The woman shifted her stance, glaring at the little dude. “I know my destiny.”

  The guy with the big round belly cleared his throat and read the entire contents of the contract. As he did so, Ethan could feel magic stinging the air, but he wasn’t altogether displeased with the contract. It limited everybody in this super-secret group. They could only speak about the class and what they did in it to select individuals. Referencing the activities of the Anomalous Materials Group could be made in general terms. Ethan could say he worked for them and that he was dealing with an anomaly, but specifics were off-limits.

  People like him, who hadn’t yet joined the class, couldn’t even know the names of the members. When he was satisfied, he accepted the contract, placing his hand on a glowing stone and swearing. Ethan felt power rushing through his hand. It snaked up his arm and into his chest, wrapping tightly around his soul. Only after a few moments did he feel the pressure release, finally allowing him to take a breath.

  “Huzzah! A new hand has touched the contract thing.” The leader of the group threw it over his shoulder, and it landed perfectly in a distant crate. “Now, I suppose we’ll give introductions. My name is Alex Starbough. I’m part of the Tagata Academy, unaffiliated with any group there. I hold the Unique Mana Dreamer’s Core. I’ve been independent since the start. Now, we’ll go around to the other members of the group, and they’ll give their introductions.”

  The Tall Woman with the Star Eyes raised her hand. “I’m Luna, no surname. Attendant of the Infinite Ocean Academy, master of the Deep Qi technique, and member of the Radiant Mana Sect. Unlike our magnanimous leader, I’ve been part of that group since I arrived on this planet.”

  “Finn. I have a surname, but these two don’t know it, and nobody outside of my academy knows it. I’m a member of the Soul Deck Academy with a full deck loaded with specialized cards. Get to know me, and perhaps I’ll tell you more about it. My affiliations within my respective academy are my own to keep.”

  “Wow, way to keep the mood going,” Alex clapped his hands together. “You can tell us as much or as little about yourself as you want. Just know we’ve never had a member in their first year. Trust me, I’ve looked at the roster. It goes back 400 years.”

  “What he means to say is that we can help you.” Luna’s voice provided a much-needed lighthouse for Ethan to latch on to.

  “Um, thanks. My name is Ethan Walsh. I guess I’m from the Tariat Academy in Gale House.” He waited a moment to see the reactions of the others, but they seemed to want more, especially Luna. He cleared his throat. “My planet was destroyed, but from what I understand, that’s pretty normal. When I got here, I was given a bunch of errors, and then I have what, as far as I can tell, is a different system than everybody else.”

  “Fairly normal,” Finn said, waving a dismissive hand. “Which system?”

  Luna smiled when she noted the look of confusion on Ethan’s face. “We often have people with aberrant systems coming into the academy. Each member of the Anomalous Materials Group has seen at least one strange system. They don’t have to fit into the four academy structures.”

  Yet still, Ethan was reluctant to give the exact details of his system, even if everyone else claimed to have engaged in a soul contract. Anyway, Alex said he could share as much or as little as he wanted.

  “I’ll just say it’s something I’m calling a primordial system. It’s fairly close to the source and, as far as I can tell, extremely weird. As I get to know you guys, I’m sure I’ll open up, but at the same time, I’m sure you can understand my reluctance.”

  “I mean, yeah, anybody with a weird system usually hides a lot of the details until they figure them out.” Alex produced an impressive belly laugh. “As a first year, I’m sure you’re still far behind. Well, that’s good enough for now. I’m sure Ethan will come to love each of us!”

  “Except you,” Finn grumbled.

  “Nah, I’m the most lovable. Anyway, shall we get down to business?”